Tension rose on Monday as opposing camps within the Peoples Democratic Party prepared to converge on the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. The move followed plans by a caretaker committee backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to reopen the Wadata Plaza office with support from security agencies.
The caretaker committee said it was acting on a judgment of the Federal High Court in Ibadan, which it believes gives it the right to access and resume activities at the secretariat. Members of the committee said the building had been shut for a long period and would first undergo fumigation and cleaning before party work resumes. They also said preparations were underway to begin the sale of nomination forms ahead of the party’s planned convention in March.
The dispute is rooted in a long-running power struggle within the party between a faction linked to Tanimu Turaki, which is supported by several governors including Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, and the Wike-backed caretaker committee. The Turaki group claims legitimacy from a national convention held in Ibadan in November 2025, but that convention was later nullified by the Ibadan court.
Previous attempts by both factions to access the secretariat ended in clashes and police intervention. With another attempt scheduled, fears grew that a fresh confrontation could occur.
Leaders of the caretaker committee said security agencies had been informed of the court ruling and were expected to remove barricades at the secretariat. They warned that anyone restrained by the court from acting as a national officer who tries to disrupt activities could face legal consequences.
On the other side, the Turaki-led National Working Committee urged restraint, saying the matter is still before the courts. The faction said an appeal is pending and warned against taking action that could lead to violence. It added that responsibility for any breakdown of order would rest with the police.
Senior party figures also weighed in, expressing hope that the Court of Appeal would resolve the wider leadership crisis. They said the dispute over the secretariat is only part of a larger legal battle and maintained that the party would survive the internal conflict.
As both camps prepared for Monday’s events, party members and observers watched closely, unsure whether the reopening would pass peacefully or deepen the PDP’s internal crisis.
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